5 Tips to Create a Montessori Toddler Bedroom

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Use these tips to get started creating a Montessori toddler bedroom for your little one to nurture independence and build confidence at home.

When we were planning for Clara’s new toddler room, we loved the idea of a Montessori toddler bedroom. The Montessori method is all about giving kids the freedom of a safe, orderly place to learn by doing. It made a lot of sense to us and I had fun researching along the way.

If you’re thinking of a Montessori room for your kiddo, it requires some strategic thinking. Planning each element of the room is the key.

These are the top 5 things we’ve learned that I wanted to share with you. They cover all the basic things you need to know to get started right away.

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1 | Independence

This is their space. Everything that you bring to it should encourage independence and learning. If they can do something on their own, you want them to have the opportunity to try.

It’s important to remove any barriers that could stand in their way. In other words, your main goal is to help them help themselves.

You’ll see below how every decision we made for her bedroom fostered independence. Here’s just one example how we turned a small bookcase into a reading bench that is at toddler level.

2 | Sleep

Choose the correct bed. Look for a bed that your child can get in and out of with no problem.

They should be able to crawl in all by themselves when they want.

This is the toddler bed I found on Amazon for less than $65 for Mini Me’s bedroom! Some parents choose a floor bed. When you’re deciding which is right for your child, you can’t go wrong with one or the other of these.

3 | Child-Centered

Get down on their level. This room should be completely child-centered. Everything they need should be within reach.

For example, I installed a low hanging coat hook so that Mini Me can learn to hang up her own jacket and her little backpack. She can reach it with no trouble. This toddler backpack is the perfect size for my daughter to carry around her own toys, a change of clothes, and snacks for when we’re out and about or traveling.

We also want her to have access to her clothes so that she can dress herself. We didn’t have a dresser her size, but we found a great solution using this thrifted dresser I glammed up. We only use the bottom drawers! She can see what’s there, and get what she needs. It’s perfect for her and fostering that independence.

Fact: We do not fold the toddler’s clothes. Shame on us, I know. But there are bigger battles to tackle, and that, my friends, is not one of them. She has one drawer for shirts, one for pants, one for pajamas/socks/underwear, and one for sweatshirts/dresses. It works for us and one day we’ll work on organizing kids clothes, but for now I love that she can choose her own clothes and get dressed by herself.

Remember: if there is even the tiniest chance a piece of furniture in this room might tip over, anchor it to the wall. These are the wall straps we use to secure all our furniture. They take 10 minutes to install and save lives.

If you’re not sure whether it’s worth the time to take this extra step, visit MeghansHope.org.

These poor parents lost their sweet daughter Meghan when, at only 3 years old, a dresser tipped over on her while the family slept. Heartbreaking.

They share everything you need to know about anchoring furniture, and how to do it. It only costs a few dollars and it’s not difficult.

4 | Learning

Choose toys that will enrich your child’s life. Look for educational, hands-on toys that encourage creative, open-ended play. The more ways they can use a toy, the better.

Think about blocks, for example. Kids can spend hours building a tall tower they imagine might reach all the way to the stars. Or a castle for their stuffed bunny.

Tomorrow they could use those same blocks to build a stable where their toy horses live. The next day their little minds will come up with something exciting and new.

Mini Me loves her play kitchen and pretend food. The bright colors, shapes, and textures are inviting and they stimulate her creativity.

I was intentional in limiting her choices so that she’s not overwhelmed when she’s playing. I also wanted to make it easy for her to put things away when playtime is over.

5 | Technology-Free

This is not a space for tech. Our kids are growing up in an exciting time, aren’t they? They’ll never know what it was like before iPads and Playstations and Netflix. As parents, it’s our job to equip them with the necessary skills to navigate this kind of world.

But, the Montessori style bedroom is a place that should be free from as much technology as possible. You don’t want electronics to gobble up all that imaginative play.

The only tech we have in Mini Me’s room is her sound machine and camera monitor to keep an eye on her because, yes, even after sleeping in her toddler bed for almost a year, she still falls asleep about 5/7 nights in front of her door or somewhere else in her room (not in her bed). The monitor lets us keep track of her and then we move her to bed before we go to sleep at night.

So, there you have it. Those are my top 5 tips to create a Montessori toddler bedroom.

I do have one more quick thing to share with you though.

If your child already has so many toys that you can hardly see the floor, you should try working backward. Use these tips as a sort of road map that will get you to the Montessori style bedroom you have in mind. Start by removing anything that doesn’t move the room in the right direction. Before you know it, the only toys left will be those that emphasize independent learning & exploration.

What do you think of our Montessori toddler bedroom?

Do you have any questions for me? I’m happy to try and answer. I’d also love it if those of you who are familiar with Montessori would chime in with your own tips. I’m sure I can learn a lot from you!

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Hi! I'm Amanda, wife to my high school sweetheart, and momma to two precious girls. When I'm not busy playing with my babies you can often find me covered in sawdust in my garage or hiding in a coffee shop drinking a hazelnut latte. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll find inspiration to create, decorate, and celebrate.

I really like your tip about making sure that everything is accessible to the kid. If everything is higher or out of reach, then the kid could feel intimidated or needy. They would definitely learn to be a lot more self-sufficient if they had were able to reach everything on their own instead of ask their parents for help every time.

Hi! I'm Amanda, wife to my high school sweetheart and momma to two precious girls. When I'm not busy playing with my babies you can often find me covered in sawdust in my garage or hiding in a coffee shop drinking a caramel latte. Thanks for stopping by!